"All We Got to See Were Factories.": Scoping Maori Transitions from Secondary School

<p>The primary purpose of this research is to scope the reflexive journey of a selected group of Maori as they recall their experiences of secondary school transitions. The already complex nature of this transition from school is further exacerbated by the identification of these people as Maori. The treatment of Maori students, particularly in relation to their secondary school experiences and its impact on transition, is a major concern for this research. The research methodology privileged by my thesis is kaupapa Maori theory. Secondary school transitions for rangatahi Maori is tenuous. By framing this thesis within kaupapa Maori methodology, the intention is to recognise the impact of dominant ideology on the schooling experiences of Maori and how it ultimately determines school transitions. This scoping study is based on the interviews of research participants as they reflect on their experiences as rangatahi Maori transitioning from school. In particular, these interviews highlight how rangatahi Maori work through the complexities they are confronted with whilst in the transitory phase between completion of secondary schooling and post-school opportunities. Information gathered from the interviews constitutes the findings of this thesis. The findings reveal that schooling experiences and more specifically, treatment of Maori students by teachers, play a significant role in transitioning for young Maori. Negotiating the already complex pathway out of school is doubly problematic for rangatahi Maori who also have to come to terms with a culture of failure, perpetuated at secondary school and reinforced by out of school experiences. This research contends that marginalisation of rangatahi Maori in New Zealand secondary schools creates an alternate experience, whereby actions of resistance and agency are employed as they look to position themselves into post-school opportunities. Of significance, is the human quality of determination that allows rangatahi Maori to stand firm, despite the entrenchment of low self-confidence and motivation through indifferent school and transition systems. Such pathways create choice for rangatahi Maori due to a lack of support from these systems, not because of it.</p>

"All We Got to See Were Factories.": Scoping Maori Transitions from Secondary School

<p>The primary purpose of this research is to scope the reflexive journey of a selected group of Maori as they recall their experiences of secondary school transitions. The already complex nature of this transition from school is further exacerbated by the identification of these people as Maori. The treatment of Maori students, particularly in relation to their secondary school experiences and its impact on transition, is a major concern for this research. The research methodology privileged by my thesis is kaupapa Maori theory. Secondary school transitions for rangatahi Maori is tenuous. By framing this thesis within kaupapa Maori methodology, the intention is to recognise the impact of dominant ideology on the schooling experiences of Maori and how it ultimately determines school transitions. This scoping study is based on the interviews of research participants as they reflect on their experiences as rangatahi Maori transitioning from school. In particular, these interviews highlight how rangatahi Maori work through the complexities they are confronted with whilst in the transitory phase between completion of secondary schooling and post-school opportunities. Information gathered from the interviews constitutes the findings of this thesis. The findings reveal that schooling experiences and more specifically, treatment of Maori students by teachers, play a significant role in transitioning for young Maori. Negotiating the already complex pathway out of school is doubly problematic for rangatahi Maori who also have to come to terms with a culture of failure, perpetuated at secondary school and reinforced by out of school experiences. This research contends that marginalisation of rangatahi Maori in New Zealand secondary schools creates an alternate experience, whereby actions of resistance and agency are employed as they look to position themselves into post-school opportunities. Of significance, is the human quality of determination that allows rangatahi Maori to stand firm, despite the entrenchment of low self-confidence and motivation through indifferent school and transition systems. Such pathways create choice for rangatahi Maori due to a lack of support from these systems, not because of it.</p>

How did Autistic Children, and their Parents, Experience School Transition during the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant school closures, social distancing measures, and restrictions placed on routine activities, the start of the academic year in September 2020 was a unique time for those transitioning to a new school. This study aimed to explore the experiences of parents who supported autistic children making a school transition in 2020, and to examine what impact parents perceived the COVID-19 pandemic had on their child’s school transition. Emphasis was placed on identifying facilitating factors that had benefitted school transitions, and barriers, which had negatively impacted these experiences. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 13 parents of autistic children in the UK. Reflexive thematic analysis was carried out to identify themes in interview data. Parents reported a variety of experiences, and factors that were perceived as facilitatory to some were observed to be barriers by others. For some parents, the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted aspects of school transitions. For example, school closure in March 2020, being unable to visit their child’s new school, and social distancing measures were discussed as being barriers to an easy transition. However, other parents identified these factors as being facilitatory for their child or reported that these circumstances created opportunities to approach the school transition in a unique, improved manner. This paper sheds light on the heterogeneity of experiences and perceptions of parents of autistic children, and highlights the need to examine the impact of COVID-19 on school transitions, including practices which may be advantageous to retain.

Ensuring Quality Transitions From Early Years’ Establishments Into Primary Schools: Putting Research Into Practice

Preschool to primary school transitions can be a time of anxiety for pupils, parents, and practitioners. The purpose of this study was to investigate what should be in place to support transitions and develop a shared understanding of what constitutes a nurturing transition for children. It is hoped that sharing this across service providers will increase consistency of practice. The design took a flexible qualitative approach to ensure the co-creation of shared meaning. Following an initial exploratory activity using a Person Centered Planning (PCP) approach, four qualitative activities were identified. Early years’ staff, primary teachers, parents, and pupils were recruited as participants from within a Scottish local authority to take part in these collaborative activities with qualitative and quantitative components, which enabled the co-construction of a transition timeline that articulates the core activities needed for optimal early years’ centers (EYC) to primary transitions. This timeline outlines various preparatory activities that can be taken for all pupils and also those with identified additional support needs (ASNs). In addition, examples of excellence were identified. While this document illustrates examples of good practice, it is not meant to replace other existing positive transition work; rather it is a guide that can enhance existing procedures within any given context.

Disrupted Care Continuity: Testing Associations between Social Networks and Transition Success for Children with Autism

Children with autism situated in lower income families often receive intensive educational interventions as their primary form of treatment, due to financial barriers for community interventions. However, the continuity of care can be disrupted by school transitions. The quality of social relationships during the transition to a new school among parents, school staff and community providers, called the team-around-the-child (TAC), can potentially buffer a child with autism from the adverse effects caused by care disruptions. Qualities of social relationships, including trust and collaborative problem solving, can be measured using social network analysis. This study investigates if two different types of TAC relationships, defined as (1) the level of trust among team members and (2) the degree of collaborative problem solving among team members, are associated with perceived successful transitions for children with autism from lower income families. Findings suggested that TAC trust is significantly associated with the outcome of transition success for children with autism immediately post-transition.

The life-course of methamphetamine users in Aotearoa/New Zealand: School, friendship and work

As part of the first qualitative-based research on the life-course of methamphetamine users in Aotearoa/New Zealand, this paper analyses the life domains of school, friendship and work. Through application of interactional theory, this paper increases understanding of the situational contexts and interpersonal factors that influence drug use trajectories and the transition from one life domain to another by identifying the patterns within each domain and the influence school, friendship and work exerts on drug use and, conversely, how drug use impacts on school, friendship and work. The analysis discovered 20 commonly shared adverse experiences that hindered educational and employment success and contributed to drug use, including: negative school transitions, significant turning point events, weak commitment to school, poor school attitude and performance, low academic achievement, low school and work ambition, low parental expectations, and high levels of mental health issues, delinquency, delinquent peer involvement, bullying victimisation, work victimisation, unstable careers and illegal economic activities. Specifically, it was common for interviewees to ‘track backwards’ in high school. This study highlights the importance of the educational domain for altering drug use trajectories, especially high school.

Transição para o ensino médio: Gestão de política de correção de fluxo e trajetórias escolares

This study analyzes the possible relations between a student flow correction policy in a public education system and the transition to high school. The study of students' educational trajectories was the resource used to understand the results of the policy management and its possible effects on middle school transitions to high school. The analysis used data from the School Census, the education system's enrollment base, and available official documents on the policy and its management. Initially, the context of the policy design and management - structured within a public/private partnership - and the educational trajectories of the entire population of students enrolled in the system studied in the fifth grade in 2010 are presented. Subsequently, the trajectories of those who reached high school in 2014 are presented. The results suggest that, although the correction of student’s flow has favored entry into high school through projects of learning acceleration, the high repetition rate in the following year – the first year of the new stage of schooling - shows that access to high school may not correspond to a sustainable and well consolidated learning process, highlighting the limits of the controversial compensatory nature of the policy on screen.